This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
For detailed odds and stats, check out the Fantasy Premier League: Saturday Cheat Sheet.
MATCHES (EST)
10:00 a.m: Stoke City v. West Ham
10:00 a.m: Brighton v. Burnley
10:00 a.m: Watford v. Huddersfield
10:00 a.m: Chelsea v. Southampton
10:00 a.m: Arsenal v. Newcastle
12:30 p.m: Manchester City v. Tottenham
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
FORWARDS
Alexis Sanchez, ARS v. NEW ($10,500): The Manchester City-Tottenham match presents a tough predicament, as it's packed with fantasy players we always like to consider and yet facing each other feels like it could turn into a low-scoring affair. Alexis comes in more expensive than every player in that match, but he also has a significantly better matchup at home against Newcastle, who have one point from their last six Premier League matches. Alexis' floor comes more from shots and fouls drawn than crosses, but he does take a few set pieces to add to his base. It also doesn't hurt that only Sergio Aguero ($9,200) has higher anytime goal scorer odds while Arsenal have the highest implied goal total.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson, BUR at BHA ($7,600): Paying this much for a Burnley player on the road seems a bit rash, but Gudmundsson has taken over as their sole set-piece taker, resulting in more crosses than any other player in the last four games. His setup is much more friendly for cash games, as he doesn't shoot enough (and Burnley don't score enough) to think he'll come up with a massive game away to Brighton. Nevertheless, he's a reliable cash option in a forward position that doesn't have a lot of easy plays if you're worried about the Man City-Spurs match not producing a ton of fantasy points.
MIDFIELDERS
Xherdan Shaqiri, STK v. WHU ($8,900): Paying up for Shaqiri will be one of the big decisions to consider Saturday, as his high price makes it tough to fit in other expensive options. He's been sharing some corners with Darren Fletcher ($3,600) of late, but it hasn't been enough to keep him from scoring at least seven points in seven consecutive league games, including three with more than 20 (he scored one goal in each). West Ham come in having shut out Chelsea and Arsenal in their last two fixtures, but it's worth noting they allowed 44 crosses and 41 shots in total. Meanwhile, Shaqiri has taken multiple shots in six of his last seven (19 total, eight on goal) while sending in 37 crosses.
Cesc Fabregas, CHE v. SOU ($7,200): With Chelsea such heavy favorites, Fabregas figures to be a pretty chalky pick in cash games because of his role on set pieces. Known more for what he does in dead-ball situations, Fabregas has been winning tackles at a higher rate recently, which only raises his fantasy floor. He doesn't shoot often, so it's not even worth considering his goal upside, but he should be able to provide a steady base of points against Southampton, who shipped four goals to Leicester City earlier this week.
Rajiv van La Parra, HUD at WAT ($4,600): It's been nearly a month since van La Parra's excellent match against Bournemouth when he scored 18 fantasy points thanks to six shots, including two on goal, six crosses and three fouls drawn, which was preceded by scoring a goal against West Ham. A late red card against Man City forced him to sit for three games, and he wasn't used in Huddersfield's 3-1 loss to Chelsea on Tuesday, but a return to the lineup could be in the cards Saturday. The matchup away to Watford isn't the easiest, but the Huddersfield attack seems to be coming together, with van La Parra the final piece that could push them ahead. I wouldn't call this a punt by any means, as van La Parra has shown a decent floor, but there's no reason to expect the world at this price range.
Mikel Merino, NEW at ARS ($3,600): First things first: Merino is a defensive midfielder playing for the biggest underdog on the slate. With that said, he's been a steady fantasy producer for a player in this price range, one that opens up significant salary to spend elsewhere. The matchup against Arsenal won't be easy, but Merino scored eight points at Chelsea earlier this month (he was $3,100 then) and six against Liverpool ($3,200) in 74 minutes back in October. Those were hardly his only good games, as he's able to contribute in a number of categories that give him a decent floor. His upside is limited despite taking four shots against Everton on Tuesday, but at this price it won't take much to make it pay off.
DEFENDERS
Darry Janmaat, WAT v. HUD ($4,900):Jose Holebas ($6,100) returned to the starting XI earlier this week in place of the suspended Marvin Zeegelaar ($4,800), and he reclaimed his role on some set pieces, helping him to eight crosses. We'd need more than that for his salary, especially since Holebas has been known to commit a foul or two (or three, or four). At his price we almost need an assist to make value, which has me looking at the other side of the field to Janmaat, who has taken three shots in each of his past two games (one on target in each) while also sending in five crosses. The floor isn't as high as Holebas, but that's why we get him for $1,200 less. I'd also certainly consider Kiko Femenia ($4,800) if he reclaims his spot as their right wing-back.
Arthur Masuaku, WHU at STK ($4,500): Masuaku started as an attacking midfielder or a wingback in three of the last four games, and his attacking ability should be seen Saturday against Stoke, who have allowed the most goals, most assists, third-most crosses and third-most chances created among teams on the slate. The West Ham defense is on a bit of a roll lately, but it's Masuaku's attacking prowess we're after. Some may look at Aaron Cresswell ($4,100) after he took a corner last week, but he's been lining up as a centerback lately, which greatly reduces his upside.
Charlie Taylor, BUR at BHA ($3,500): You can put serious consideration into any starting fullback in this match, as Burnley and Brighton allow more crosses than any every other team on the slate. Taylor gets the mention here because he's the cheapest, though he's not guaranteed to start if Stephen Ward ($4,200) is able to recover from the injury that knocked him out of Tuesday's match with Stoke City. There is quite a bit of value at defender on Saturday's slate, and this game includes four potential options for those looking for decent per-dollar floors.
GOALKEEPER
Hugo Lloris, TOT at MCI ($3,900): Playing a goalkeeper at the Etihad is usually a recipe for disaster, but we at least get a price reduction to take on that risk. It's pretty rare that you can roster Lloris under $4,000, even with Spurs not being as good defensively as last year. The upside here is that Man City create a ton of save opportunities with the hope that Spurs can get their act together defensively and maybe even pull off a massive upset. I mean, it's goalkeeper, all we have is hope, right?
